Rejoice in What Will Be
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 65:17-25
"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth." Isaiah 65:17
On a CNN talk show three evangelical Christian ministers tried to explain from the Bible why they were sure the battle of Armageddon was just around the corner. On another show, a history professor from an Ivy League university predicted the date on which he thought the end of the world would take place.
For 2,000 years Christians have been trying to predict the end of history--without success. Of course! According to the Lord Jesus, no one knows the day or the hour except God the Father (Matthew 24:36). We don't need to know the final date on God's calendar for this present age. But we have what we need: a sure knowledge that at the appointed time the Lord Jesus will return to "create new heavens and a new earth."
That's the good news from Isaiah 65. Someday the sounds of weeping and crying will be heard no more. Persecution will cease, wars will end, and swords will be turned into plowshares. Someday all peoples will live together in peace. The day will come, says Isaiah, when people will be forever "blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them." The day will come when "the wolf and the lamb will feed together."
Pray that the Lord will come soon to usher in his complete kingdom: a world where every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Come as soon as possible to bring about the new heavens and new earth. In the meantime, help us to trust and serve you faithfully each day.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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